Built as a home for the poor, Mayview has long been a facility for the most severely mentally challenged individuals. When Dixmont State Hospital near Pittsburgh closed in the early 1980s, Mayview became a catchall for the patients who were not able to live in group homes or on their own. It also adopted some residents of Western Center State Hospital in Canonsburg when that facility was closed in 2000.
Today, Mayview is also one of only three forensics hospitals in the state. Judges from several surrounding counties send criminals here for a comprehensive mental evaluation as well as treatment.
Currently, there are approximately 225 criminal and non-criminal patients at Mayview. According to the DPW, the non-violent, non-criminal individuals will be moved to group homes. The state is looking to privatize the forensic part and the remainder of the Mayview patients may be placed in a similar facility in Westmoreland County.
The goal in closing the state mental hospitals has been to mainstream individuals back into society where they can function in either group homes or on their own. Better psychiatric testing, diagnosis and drugs have all led to this way of thinking. State run facilities are also more expensive, the DPW claims.
While it sounds good, how successful has this all been? In the past five years, there has been a notable increase in the amount of homeless individuals, many of which are mentally ill. With medication, they may be productive members of society. But many do not have the capabilities to maintain a life outside of constant supervision and are unable to sustain a job.
According to the state DPW, Mayview's operating budget was $63 million. With the closing, DPW has promised funding to county mental health/mental retardation programs for the community placements. But the DPW release about the closing also claims the governor's budget allocates less than $19 million to support the discharged Mayview patients for the first year.
State, as well as federal, funding for mental health treatment has been steadily dropping. County- and privately-run programs have been reduced, if not cut entirely, because of the lack of money. If funding is allocated only for the first year these patients are disbursed, what will happen in the subsequent years? Will the state allocate its $44 million savings toward more mental health programs?
From the DPW news release: "Our intent is to expand the existing community infrastructure and invest millions of dollars used to run more restrictive, costly hospital services to the community to enhance and sustain recovery-supporting services as well as continue to improve Pennsylvania's mental health service delivery system."
This support has not occurred with any of the other closings, making it hard to believe it will happen when Mayview shuts its doors for the final time. That leaves us to pick up the pieces.